Aeronautic toy.



E. B. LODGE.

AERONAUTIO TOY.

APPLIOATION nun Isa. 21, 1913.

Patented Feb. 17. 1914.

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EDWARD, BAI L ARD LODGE, or CLEVELAND, oHro.

AERONAUTIC TOY.

Be it known that I, EDWARD Benn-mo LODGE, a citizen of the'United S tates, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga,

and State of Ohio, have invented anew and useful Improvement in, Aeronautic Toys, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have conte plated applying that principle, so to distinguish it from other inventions. The present invention relates to an aeronautic toy for the amusement of children.

It comprisesin general, aframe with aplurality of planes extending therefrom, and,

a propeller and rudder, thus resembling an aeroplane. l

closed means size, the smaller The device may be made in: desired sizes being particularly adapted for use indoors. When made in a larger size it ma be used as an advertising evice, displayi1iadvertisements on the wings or-planes and tin the rudder. 1

To the accomplishment of this and related ends, said invention,t hen, consists of the means hereinafter fullyi described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing-and the following description, anism embodying the invention, such disconstituting, however, but one of various mechanical principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing :-Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my device, showing it when attached to a cable; Fig. 2 is a vertical central section, Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 in Fig. and Fig. 4 is a d etailed View similar to Fig. 2.

It will be understood that my device may take any one of numerous forms, the ex;- actform being determined by the size and price at which the device is to be soldl When made in larger size, 'the device will appear more complicated, and for this reai son the following description will be given only of the simplest form, which is here, illustrated, although it will be seen that it.

is a matter of indifference whether ornot the frame and the various other members take the exact forn'i here shown.

In Fig- 1 there is shown a filtliflflfllllt.

disposed member 1,

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 cally disposed set forth in detail certain mech forms in which the such as is here shown,

frame, and it'will be seen that the cable 3. Pulleys 4,

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

hpplication filed February 21, 1912. Serial No. 678,983. X X

To all whom it may canoe n:

mounted: on lugs Q attached to the member 2, enter this member through, slots 6, and engage the cable, thus eliminating. any slid ing. friction, since the cable \does not con- 0 tact thesides'of member 2 atall. To the bottom of the main frame 1, \there will be attached a weight 7 which may be of any suitable sizeand shape, and. which will serve to retain the device in an upright position at all times, as the center ofgravity is considerably below the point of attachmentof the member 2, which is the level of the point of'support.

Rotatably attached to the main frame is a secondaryframe-comprising two vertimembers 8 which are attached together at the upper ends, and which at. their lotver ends are attached to a bowshaped member 9; upon which is mounted a disk d0, adapted to encircle, andlif desired, "to journal the member 1 of-the main frame. A short cross member l9,' -m ay be. attached to the former, to prevent the disengagement of the main and secondary so ranges. I Extending from the secondary frame at the 69p, is a shaft l'l which is here shown tubular,- andhas a verticallyi'extending portion 12,.which extends over: an upwardly extending shaft 13, attached to. the main frame. Rotahibly, mounted bii the horizontal shaft 11, isarotatable member l4 having a plurality of blades thus representing a propeller, the exact construction of these several members, and their arrangement being more clearlyshown in Fig- 2.. 1 It will be seen in Fig: 4 that in the pres ent device \the member 13' will have a sharpened upper end, and may in practice be a needle which will engage the conical bearing 18 which will be formed inv the mem-, ber 11. It is for this purpose that the disk, 10 is made to loosely inclose the irra'infi-alnc l in order that the secondary f ELIDelnuiy-i oscillate'slightly on the end of Tfhe. member-l] 00 1; By using a sharpened conical bearing,

the secondary'frame is permitted to rotate freely-upon the main slightest wind pressure against the curved rudder 105 will tend to rotate this frame, whereas if theb aringwsu-rfaces 'werinot' adapted, "as 1 they are here, to coiipera tepit might be diificult'1to securethe rotation offthe-"se'c'oniiary" frame at certain times. g 1 10 The bow-shaped member hextenflsm ar ,wardly of the secondary frame and to it.

there will be attached a laterally curved and vertically disposed rudder 15. To the two members 8, there Will be attached laterally extending curved planeslti.

I While in the present device, a'rudder 15 is depended upon to secure the halfway rotation at the conclusion of each forward movement, other means may be provided for-this purpose. 'EVGIL'WCIQ the rudder straight, it would be possible to secure such rotation by over-weighting one side of the machine, the weight being placed preferably at some point on the secondary frame, although it might .be placed in the supports for the two planes. V

The operation of the device Will be obvious. The cable? will be attached to a wall at one end, or maybe held by an operator, the other end then being-lowered, Whielrwill cause the device to roll down the cable, the so-called propeller rotating as a result of the devices movement through the air. When the device has reached the end of such movement, the secondary frame will rotate through a half circle, such movement being .causedby-the curved rudder, as will be readily. understood, since the wind pressurecn the side toward which the rudder is curved, will exceed that on the other side.

. The use of a toyiwhich will slide down an inclined cable is, of course, old, but the presentdeviceis thought to be more than such a toy, as it appears to resemble an aeroplane in many-Ways, and to have means to cause it to rotate at the conclusion of movement in either direction.=

It will be understood that at the forward end of the bow-shaped member 9 there may be placed a toy figure 17 representing an aviator. in: order to carry out the general scheme ofan actual aeroplane of the mono plane type, and also to counterbalance the weight ofdhc rudder, thus maintaining the secondary frame in perfect balance on the main :frame. It is not necessary that a figure be placed upon the forward end of the secondary frame, as it will he seen that any suitable weight will function exactly as does such a figure, although it: will not lend itself to-the general appearance of the aeroplane. a v

The construction of this'device is sitch thahalthough it may be momentarily dis placed from its position, yet it will tend to return'to the same'as soonas the motion of the cord .ceases. Furthermore, by reasonio'fthewveightsl the machine will always tend to returnto itsnormal position.

Thepesent device is of course intended primarily for amusement, and possibly for advertssing as has-been already stated. It s thought,however, that another purpose principles of physics are here illustrated. These are the law of gravity, which is shown by the machine sliding down the inclined cable, the law of equilibrium, which is shown by the machines maintaining its balance on account of the weighted ball and also the planes, and thirdly, the resistance of the air and its effect upon a body moving through it, as exemplified by the action of the machine caused by the resistance of both the propeller and the rudder to the air. By being attractive and amusingflhe device incites the interest of the users, and is well able to bring out the principles above mentioned, since it is always easier to show and teach physical principles by demonstration, and it is doubly easy to do so when the interest of the learners has been excited by the present device.

Other modes of ap iilying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclo;-:e.d, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent: of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distin tly claim as my invention 1. In a device of the character describml, the con'ibination of a frame, a plane at tached to said frame, a. member attached to said plane and adapted to slide along a guide, means adapted to retain the device in a predetermined position in a vertical plane, and other means adapted to retain the device in a predetermined position in a horizontal plane.

2. In a device of the character described, the con'ibinatimi of aframc, a plane at- .tached to said frame, a member attached to .said plane and adapted to slide'along a .guide, counterweigbtv means adapted to retainthe deyi ce in an upright position, and a rmlder attached to said frame and adapted to retain the device in a predetermined position with respect to the direction of movement.

T5. In a device of the aracter described, the combination of a frame, a secondary frame rotatably mounted on said main frame. a plurality of planes attached to said secondary frame and extending laterally therefrom, a member attaclual .to vsaid main frame, extending "laterally tn'eret'ro and being adapted to inclose and to slidl along ,a cable, means adapted to retain-saidi device in an upright position during motement along such cable, and means adapted to cause said secondary frame to rotate tl rough a half circle at the conclusion of suchli I ment.

4. In a device of the character described,

frame rotatably mounted about a lrertical 5. In a device of the frame second frame, said member being adapted to axis on said main frame; a plurality of laterally extending planes attached to said secondary frame; a lateral shaft also attached to said secondary frame; a propeller rotatably tending member attached to said main frame below the point of attachment of said secondary frame, said member being adapted to inclose and to slide along a cable; means adapted to retain said device in an upright position during movement along such cable; and means adapted to cause said secondary frame to rotate through a half circle at the conclusion of such movement.

character described, the combination of a frame; a secondary frame rotatably mounted about a vertical axis on said main frame; a plurality of laterally extending planes attached to said secondary frame; a lateral shaft also attached to said secondary frame; a propeller rotatably mounted on said shaft; a laterally extending member attached to ,said main below the point of attachment of said inclose and to slide along afcable; a Weight attached to said main frame below the point of attachment of said member and adapted to retain said device in an upright position at all times; and means adapted to cause said secondaryframe. to rotate through-a mounted on said shaft a laterally 6X1 &

half circle at the conclusion of such movement.

6. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a frame; a secondary frame rotatably mounted about a vertical axis on said main frame; a plurality of latinclose and to slide along a cable; a Weight attached to said main frame below the pointof attachment of said member and adapted to retain said device in an upright position at all times; and a laterally curved and vertically disposed rudder attached to, and extending from, said secondary'frame, said rudder causing said secondaryframe to rotate through a half circle at the conclusion of movement of said device along such cable in either direction. v

Signed by me this 19th day of February 1912.-

E; BALLARD LODGE. 

